lARTff £  LUT 


\w.  60S. 

LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

ffi’S  KEY 


TO 


THE  EPISTLE 


OF 


PAUL  TO  THE  ROMANS. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN 
BY  REV.  WILLIAM  G.  SCHAUFFLER,  D.  D. 

rm  i  i  ■  ..  ... —  _  -  ,  _ 

iul,  k  —  i  ii  -****'- 

MISSIONARY  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 


AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU-STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


2 


LUTHER'S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


LUTHER  ON  THE  LORD’S  PRAYER. 


“  External  and  bodily  prayer  is  that  outward  lip-scr 
vice  which  is  gone  through  without  any  attention,  an<j 
which  strikes  the  eyes  and  the  ears  of  men ;  but  praye 
in  spirit  and  in  truth  is  the  inward  desire,  the  motions 
the  sighs,  which  issue  from  the  depths  of  the  heart.  The1 
former  is  the  prayer  of  hypocrites,  and  of  all  those  who 
trust  in  themselves  :  the  latter  is  the  prayer  of  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  God,  who  walk  in  his  fear. 

“  Our  Father.  There  is  no  name  among  all  names 
which  more  inclines  us  towards  God  than  the  name  of 
Father.  We  should  not  feel  so  much  happiness  and  con¬ 
solation  in  calling  him  our  Lord,  or  God,  or  Judge.  By 
this  word  Father  the  compassion  of  the  Lord  is  moved. 
There  is  no  voice  more  lovely  or  more  endearing  to  a 
father  than  that  of  his  child. 

“  Who  art  in  heaven.  He  who  confesses  that  he  has  a 
Father  in  heaven,  acknowledges  himself  a  stranger  upon 
the  earth.  Hence  there  arises  an  ardent  longing  in  his 
heart,  like  that  of  a  child  who  dwells  far  from  his  father’s 
country,  among  strangers,  in  wretchedness  and  in  mourn¬ 
ing.  It  is  as  if  he  said,  Alas,  my  Father,  thou  art  in 
heaven,  and  I  thy  unhappy  child  am  on  the  earth,  far 
from  thee,  in  the  midst  of  danger,  necessity,  and  tribula¬ 
tion. 

“  llhllou-ed  be  thy  name.  He  who  is  passionate,  envi¬ 
ous,  an  evil-speaker,  a  calumniator,  dishonors  the  name 
of  God :  putting  to  an  impious  use  the  vessel  that  God 
hath  consecrated  to  himself.  1 

“  Thy  kingdom  come.  Those  who  amass  wealth,  win 
build  sumptuous  houses,  who  seek  all  that  the  work 
can  give,  and  pronounce  this  prayer  with  their  lips,  re 
semble  large  organ-pipes  which  peal  loudly  and  inces 
santly  in  the  churches,  without  either  speech,  feeling,  oij 
reason. 

“  Wherefore  do  we  say,  Our  daily  bread  ?  Because5 
we  pray  not  to  have  the  ordinary  bread  that  pagans  eat 
and  which  God  gives  to  all  men,  but  for  our  bread,  ours\ 
who  are  children  of  the  heavenly  Father.  And  what  i 

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MARTIN  LUTHER’S  KEY 

TO 

THE  EPISTLE  OF  PAUL  TO  THE  ROMANS. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN 
BY  REV.  WILLIAM  G.  SCHAUFFLER,  D.  D. 

MISSIONARY  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


o 


This  epistle  is  a  distinguished  book  of  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament — the  pure  gospel — worthy  of  being  committed  to 
memory  word  by  word  by  every  Christian,  and  of  daily 
study  and  reflection  as  the  daily  bread  of  the  soul.  It 
cannot  be  read  too  often  or  studied  too  thoroughly :  the 
more  we  dwell  upon  it,  the  more .  precious  and  full  of 
relish  it  becomes.  It  is  in  itself  a  bright  luminary, 
throwing  light  on  the  whole  canon  of  Scripture. 

First  of  all,  we  must  become  acquainted  with  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  book,  and  see  what  Paul  means  by  the  words, 

-LAW,  SIN,  GRACE,  FAITH,  RIGHTEOUSNESS,  FLESH,  SPIRIT,  and  the 

like,  otherwise  our  reading  will  do  us  little  good. 

The  word  law  in  this  epistle  must  not  be  understood 
in  a  human  sense,  as  if  it  merely  concerned  what  works 
are  to  be  done,  and  what  abstained  from — as  is  the  case 
with  human  laws,  which  are  satisfied  with  the  outward 

j  * 

('  performance,  though  the  heart  be  wanting.  God  judgeth 
according  to  the  inmost  heart,  and  hence  his  law  lays 
.  hold  of  that,  and  is  satisfied  with  no  act,  yea,  it  con- 
T  deirms  every  act,  in  which  the  heart  is  not  found,  as 
hypocrisy  and  a  lie.  Thus  all  men  are  called  liars,  Psa. 
116  : 11,  inasmuch  as  no  one  keeps  the  law  of  God  from 
his  heart,  nor  can  keep  it  perfectly,  every  one  finding 
within  himself  a  natural  aversion  to  what  is  good,  and 
an  inclination  to  what  is  evil.  Where  there  is  not  a  real 
delight  in  holiness,  there  the  heart  is  not  in  the  law  of 
God ;  and  there  also  sin  certainly  reigns,  and  the  wrath 


& 


2 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


of  God  is  incurred,  although  many  good  works  may  be 
done,  and  a  good  moral  conduct  be  maintained. 

Hence  Paul  concludes,  chap.  2,  that  the  Jews  are  all 
sinners,  and  says  the  doers  of  the  law  alone  are  just  with 
God ;  meaning  by  this,  that  no  one  is  such  a  doer  of  the 
law.  Hence  he  says  to  them,  “Wherein  thou  judgest 
another,  thou  condemnest  thyself ;  for  thou  that  judgest 
doest  the  same  things  that  is  to  say,  thou  livest  in  out¬ 
ward  decency  according  to  the  law,  and  judgest  those 
who  do  not  live  so ;  thou  seest  the  mote  in  thy  neigh¬ 
bor’s  eye,  but  the  beam  in  thine  own  eye  thou  seest  not. 
Matt.  1 :  3. 

For  although  thou  keepest  the  law  in  thine  outward 
acts,  from  fear  of  punishment  and  love  of  reward,  thou 
doest  all  without  any  true  delight  and  love  for  the  law, 
but  with  aversion  and  by  compulsion  ;  and  thou  wouldest 
gladly  do  otherwise,  but  for  the  terrors  of  the  law.  The 
conclusion  is  inevitable,  that  in  thy  deepest  soul  thou  art 
an  enemy  of  the  divine  law.  What  does  it  signify  then 
if  thou  teach  others  not  to  steal,  while  thou  art  a  thief 
in  thine  own  heart,  and  wouldest  be  one  outwardly  if 
thou  daredst  ?  What  if  thou  teach  others  to  understand 
the  law,  and  never  hadst  a  true  understanding  of  it  thy¬ 
self?  Besides  all  this,  the  law  causes  sin  to  abound,  as 
the  apostle  says,  chap.  5 :  20  ;  because,  as  man  becomes 
more  and  more  an  enemy  to  the  law,  the  more  and  great¬ 
er  are  the  demands  it  £nakes  upon  him  which  he  is  ut¬ 
terly  unable  to  meet. 

Therefore  Paul  says,  chap.  1  : 14,  “  The  law  is  spirit- 
ual .”  What  does  this  mean  ?  Answer  :  If  the  law  was 
carnal,  it  could  be  satisfied  with  works.  But  now  that  it 
is  spiritual,  no  one  can  satisfy  it,  unless  all  that  he  does 
in  accordance  with  it  be  done  freely  and  from  the  heart. 
But  such  a  heart  no  one  can  give  except  the  Spirit  of 
God,  who  brings  the  man  so  to  receive  the  law  that  he 
delights  in  it  from  his  heart,  and  obeys  it  in  every  part, 
not  from  fear  or  by  compulsion,  but  freely  and  cheerfully. 
Thus  the  law  is  spiritual,  and  is  to  be  loved  and  obeyed 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


3 


in  a  spirit  of  holy  love,  every  one  of  its  precepts  demand¬ 
ing  the  same  spirit.  Where  this  spirit  is  not  in  the  heart, 
there  dwelleth  sin,  aversion,  and  enmity  against  that  law 
which  is  ever  holy,  just,  and  good. 

Let  it  then  be  deeply  impressed  on  your  heart,  that  it 
is  a  very  different  thing  to  “  do  the  deeds  of  the  law,”  from 
what  it  is  to  “keep  the  law.” 

The  “deeds  of  the  law ”  consist  of  all  that  a  man  does 
or  can  do  merely  by  his  own  choice  and  in  his  own 
strength.  But  as  along  with,  and  under  cover  of  these 
“  deeds,”  there  remaineth  in  the  heart  aversion  and  resist¬ 
ance  to  the  law,  rendering  compulsion  necessary,  such 
deeds  are  not  acceptable  to  God.  This  is  what  Paul 
means,  chap.  3  :  20,  when  he  says,  “  By  the  deeds  of  the 
law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight.”  Here 
you  see  what  deceivers  those  are,  who  teach  men  to  pre¬ 
pare  themselves  by  good  works  for  the  reception  of  grace. 
How  can  that  man  prepare  himself  by  works  for  any  thing 
good,  who  performs  no  good  deed  without  aversion  of 
heart  and  compulsion  ?  What  pleasure  can  God  have  in 
a  deed  performed  with  unwillingness  of  heart  ? 

To  keep  or  fulfil  the  law  is,  to  obey  it  with  heartfelt 
delight  and  love  ;  to  lead  a  just  and  godly  life  freely  and 
from  choice,  and  not  from  constraint  of  either  law  or  pen¬ 
alty.  Such  delight  in  unconstrained  love  the  Holy  Spirit 
pours  abroad  in  our  hearts,  as  Paul  says,  chap.  5  :  5.  But 
this  spirit  is  not  given  except  in,  with,  and  by  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  as  we  are  taught  in  the  introductory  part 
of  the  epistle.  In  like  manner,  faith  comes  only  by  the 
word  of  God,  the  gospel,  which  preaches  Christ — that  he 
is  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  man,  and  how  he  died 
and  rose  again  for  our  sakes.  See  chap.  3  :  25  ;  4:25; 
10  :  9. 

And  hence  it  is  that  faith  alone  justifies  and  causes 
the  law  to  be  fulfilled  in  us  ;  for  it  brings  to  us  the  Spirit 
out  of  the  treasury  of  Christ’s  merits.  The  Spirit  makes 
the  heart  buoyant  and  free  as  the  law  requires  it  to  be, 
and  thus  good  deeds  proceed  from  faith  itself.  Of  this 


4 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


the  apostle  speaks,  chap.  3  :  31,  after  rejecting1  all  “the 
deeds  of  the  law,”  so  that  it  almost  seems  as  though  he 
was  about  to  abolish  the  law  by  faith.  “  God  forbid,” 
says  he  ;  “yea,  we  establish  the  law  by  faith  that  is,  we 
fulfil  it  by  faith. 

Sin,  in  scripture  language,  is  not  merely  the  outward 
work  done  by  the  body,  but  all  that  which  inwardly  stirs 
and  impels  to  outward  action,  namely,  the  heart  with  its 
springs  and  powers.  The  Scriptures  regard  particularly 
the  heart ,  and  look  to  the  root  and  the  main-spring  of  all 
sin,  which  is  the  “  evil  heart  of  unbelief”  Thus,  just 
as  faith  alone  justifies,  and  imparts  to  the  soul  a  delight 
in  good  outward  works,  so  unbelief ’,  the  only  spring  of 
sin,  excites  the  carnal  mind  to  wicked  outward  acts,  as 
was  the  case  with  Adam  and  Eve  in  paradise.  Gen. 
3  :  6.  Hence  it  is  that  Christ  designates  unbelief  as  the 
great  sin.  John  16  :  8,  9.  The  Spirit  will  “reprove  the 
world  ....  of  sin ,  because  they  believe  not  in  me.”  There¬ 
fore  also,  as  with  the  good  or  bad  fruits  of  the  tree,  be¬ 
fore  good  or  bad  works  are  done  there  must  be  faith  in 
the  heart,  or  there  will  be  unbelief,  the  root,  sap,  and 
power  of  all  sin.  This  unbelief  is  the  great  sin  which 
the  woman's  seed,  Christ,  must  crush.  Gen.  3:15. 

Grace  and  gift  have  this  distinction  :  grace  is  God’s 
favor  and  kindness  towards  us,  which  induce  him  to  give 
unto  us  Christ,  and  to  pour  out  in  us  the  Spirit  with  his 
gifts.  This  we  may  clearly  see  in  chap.  5  : 15,  where 
Paul  speaks  of  “  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  gift  by  grace.” 
Although  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit  in  us  are  daily  growing, 
and  yet  never  come  to  perfection  here,  so  that  there  re¬ 
main  in  us  sinful  emotions  and  lusts  which  war  against 
1  the  soul,  chap.  *1  : 14,  Gal  5:11,  still,  grace  effects  so  much 
that  we  are  accounted  just  before  God.  His  grace  is  not 
cut  up  and  parcelled  out  as  his  gifts  are,  but  receives  us 
at  once  and  entirely  into  the  divine  favor,  for  the  sake 
of  Christ  our  Mediator  and  Intercessor,  and  then  the 
gracious  gifts  begin  to  dwell  in  us.  Thus  in  the  seventh 
chapter  Paul  calls  himself  a  sinner,  and  yet  he  says  in 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


5 


the  eighth  chapter  that  by  the  grace  of  God  there  is  no 
condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  In  the 
flesh,  not  as  yet  thoroughly  mortified,  we  are  still  sin¬ 
ners  ;  but  because  we  believe  in  Christ,  and  have  the 
first-fruits  of  the  Spirit,  God  is  gracious  to  us,  so  that 
he  will  not  condemn  us,  but  will  deal  with  us  according 
to  our  faith  in  Christ,  till  sin  be  quite  mortified  and  dead. 

Faith  is  not  what  many  fancy  it  to  be,  who  talk  a 
great  deal  about  faith  but  without  regard  to  its  connec¬ 
tion  with  sanctification  of  life  or  good  deeds  accompany¬ 
ing  faith  :  they  fall  into  error,  and  say,  We  are  not  jus¬ 
tified  by  faith  alone,  but  by  good  works  also.  Thus  men 
deceive  themselves,  because,  when  they  hear  the  gospel, 
they  are  at  once  ready  to  make  to  themselves  a  faith  in 
their  own  strength.  But  as  this  is  merely  a  human  imag¬ 
ination  by  which  the  heart  itself  is  not  reached,  it  produces 
no  good  fruit,  and  no  sanctification  follows  such  a  faith. 

But  true  faith  is  a  divine  work  in  us,  which  changes 
us,  and  regenerates  us,  so  that  we  are  “born  of  God.” 
John  1:13.  It  mortifies  the  old  man,  and  makes  us 
different  men  in  heart  and  mind,  accompanied  as  that 
faith  is  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Oh,  this  faith  is  living, 
active,  efficient,  powerful,  so  that  it  is  quite  impossible 
that  it  should  not  incessantly  be  doing  good.  It  does 
not  stop  to  ask  whether  any  good  work  is  to  be  done, 
but  before  the  question  can  be  put  it  has  accomplished 
it ;  it  is  continually  up  and  doing.  And  he  that  is  not 
such  is  a  faithless  man  ;  he  gropes  about  in  the  dark  for 
faith  and  good  works,  and  knows  nothing  of  either,  but 
merely  multiples  words  about  faith  and  works  without 
true  knowledge. 

Faith  is  a  living  confidence  in  the  grace  of  God,  so 
firm  that  a  man  may  die  a  thousand  deaths  rather  than 
doubt.  And  such  confidence  in  and  experience  of  divine 
grace  makes  us  happy,  frank,  and  cheerful  towards  God 
and  all  creatures.  This  is  wrought  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
through  faith.  Hence  such  a  man  is  willing  and  forward, 
without  any  compulsion,  to  do  good  to  every  one — to 


6 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


serve  all  men,  and  to  suffer  all  things,  for  the  love  and 
glory  of  that  God  who  hath  shown  towards  him  such  grace. 
Thus  it  is  as  impossible  and  absurd  to  separate  works 
from  faith,  as  it  is  to  separate  heat  and  light  from  fire. 
Beware,  therefore,  of  thine  own  preconceived  notions 
about  faith,  and  pray  to  God  that  he  will  work  faith  in 
you  ;  for  without  his  power  you  will  remain  without 
faith  eternally. 

Righteousness  is  identical  with  this  very  faith.  It  is 
called  the  righteousness  of  God,  because  God  is  the  giver 
of  it,  and  “  counts  it  for  righteousness ,77  for  the  sake  of 
Christ  our  Mediator,  and  by  it  disposes  a  man  to  do  all 
that  is  righteous  in  God’s  sight.  By  faith  man  conquers 
sin,  and  obtains  a  love  for  the  commandments  of  God. 
Thus  he  gives  to  God  the  glory  due  to  him,  and  seeks  to 
discharge  the  debt  of  a  creature  to  the  Creator.  As  to  his 
fellow-men,  he  serves  them  willingly  in  whatever  way  he 
can,  meeting  every  just  claim  they  have  upon  him.  Such 
“  righteousness 77  is  not,  and  cannot  be  the  effect  of  na¬ 
ture,  or  human  power ;  for  as  no  one  can  procure  faith 
of  himself,  so  of  himself  merely  he  cannot  lay  aside  unbe¬ 
lief  :  how  then  will  he  overcome  so  much  as  a  single 
sin,  though  it  be  the  very  least  ?  All  is  falsehood,  hy¬ 
pocrisy,  and  sin,  which  is  done  without  faith  and  in  a 
state  of  unbelief,  be  its  gloss  ever  so  bright.  Rom.  14:23. 

Flesh  and  spirit  must  not  be  understood  in  such  a 
way  as  if  that  only  was  flesh  which  belongs  to  works  of 
unchastity,  and  that  only  spirit  which  belongs  to  inWard 
pious  feelings  ;  but  according  to  Paul,  just  as  according 
to  Christ  himself,  John  3  :  6,  flesh  is  “  aU  that  which  is 
horn  of  flesh ,77  namely,  the  whole  man,  with  body  and  soul, 
reason,  and  all  the  senses  and  powers ;  because  all  that 
is  in  him  naturally  loves  what  is  carnal.  Thus  he  is 
called  “  flesh,77  or  “  carnal,77  who,  being  without  grace, 
occupies  himself  with  religious  things,  talking  and  dog¬ 
matizing  as  you  may  see  in  Gal.  5  :  20,  where  heresies, 
and  consequent  emulations  and  strife  and  variance  are 
reckoned  among  these  carnal  works. 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


1 


Again,  in  Rom.  8  : 3,  where  Paul  says  the  “law”  is 
“  weak  through  the  flesh,”  he  alludes  not  to  unchastity 
merely,  but  to  all  sins,  most  of  all  to  unbelief,  which  is 
the  vice  seated  in  the  very  depths  of  the  soul. 

Again,  a  man  may  be  spiritual ,  although  occupied  in 
the  most  common  outward  works,  as  Christ  was  when 
he  washed  the  disciples7  feet,  or  Peter  when  he  was 
guiding  his  boat  or  fishing.  “Flesh77  or  “carnal77  is 
every  man  whose  inward  and  outward  life  and  works 
have  for  their  object  his  own  carnal  profit  and  temporal 
prosperity.  “Spirit77  or  “spiritual77  is  every  one  who 
inwardly  and  outwardly  lives  and  labors  with  a  constant 
and  single  view  to  his  spiritual  good  and  the  future  life 
and  bliss  of  his  soul. 

Without  such  an  understanding  of  these  terms,  you 
can  neither  understand  this  epistle  of  Paul,  nor  any  other 
book  in  the  Bible.  Beware,  therefore,,  of  all  expositors 
who  take  these  terms  in  a  different  and  mistaken  sense. 

And  now  to  the  epistle  itself. 

It  is  the  duty  -of  every  gospel  preacher  to  proclaim 
the  law,  and  to  expose,  reprove,  and  condemn  men’s  sins, 
and  to  maintain  that  all  who  live  out  of  the  Spirit,  and 
without  faith  in  Christ,  live  in  sin ;  so  that  men  may 
come  to  a  knowledge  of  themselves  and  their  own  utter 
misery,  and  may  be  led  to  humble  themselves  and  seek 
for  salvation. 

In  chapter  1,  accordingly,  Paul  reproves  open  trans¬ 
gressions  and  unbelief,  such  as  are  obvious,  like  the  sins 
of  the  heathen  who  live  without  God ;  and  says  God’s 
wrath  is  to  be  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  ungod¬ 
liness  and  unrighteousness  of  men.  For  although  they 
know,  and  perceive  daily,  that  there  is  a  God,  human 
nature  without  grace  is  so  wicked  in  itself,  that  it  neither 
thanks  God  nor  glorifies  him,  but  shuts  out  from  view 
all  God’s  mercies,  and  sinks  deeper  and  deeper,  till  hav¬ 
ing  become  idolaters,  men  frill  into  the  most  abominable 
sins,  and  practising  every  vice  without  shame,  favor  the 
same  practices  in  others. 


8 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


In  chapter  2,  Paul  extends  the  reproof  to  those  also 
who  seem  to  live  well  outwardly,  or  commit  their  out¬ 
ward  sin  in  secret,  as  the  Jews  did ;  all  such  are  hyp¬ 
ocrites,  living’  honestly  and  morally  as  seen  by  men, 
but  without  love  and  desire  for  God’s  law,  being  in 
heart  enemies  to  it.  Yet,  as  the  hypocrite’s  way  is, 
they  dare  to  judge  others,  thinking  themselves  pious  and 
pure,  while  in  fact  they  are  filled  with  covetousness,  ha¬ 
tred,  pride,  and  all  uncleanness.  Matt.  23  :  25.  These 
are  they  who  despise  the  riches  of  God’s  goodness,  and 
after  their  hardness  of  heart  treasure  up  unto  them¬ 
selves  wrath.  Thus  Paul,  like  a  faithful  expounder  of 
the  law,  declares  that  none  are  without  sin,  and  de¬ 
nounces  the  wrath  of  God  upon  all  who  reject  Christ  and 
salvation  by  him,  as  hard-hearted  and  impenitent. 

In  chapter  3,  he  unites  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  says 
they  are  all  sinners  before  God  alike,  except  that  the 
Jews  had  the  word  of  God  ;  and  that  while  but  few  of  them 
believed  in  it,  God’s  faithfulness  and  truth  remain  firm, 
notwithstanding  their  unbelief.  Here  he  adduces  a  decla¬ 
ration  of  Scripture,  from  Psa.  51:4,  that  God  is  justified 
in  his  saying's.  Then,  returning  to  his  subject,  he  proves 
by  Scripture  that  all  men  are  sinners,  that  by  the  deeds 
of  the  law  no  man  can  be  justified,  and  that  the  law  is 
given  that  men  might  receive  the  knowledge  of  sin.  This 
done,  he  begins  and  teaches  the  true  way  by  which  men 
are  to  become  godly  and  to  be  saved.  He  says  we  are  all 
sinners,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,  and  are  jus¬ 
tified  without  the  merit  of  works  through  faith  in  Christ, 
who  has  procured  justification  by  his  blood,  and  has  be¬ 
come  a  propitiation  for  us  ;  through  whom  God  is  ready 
to  forgive  all  our  former  sins,  that  he  may  prove  that  we 
are  saved  by  his  righteousness  alone,  received  by  faith ,  all 
of  which  the  gospel  reveals  and  brings  with  it,  after  the 
law  and  the  prophets  had  borne  their  testimony  to  it  in 
ages  past.  Thus  the  law  is  established  by  faith,  while 
the  boasted  “  deeds  of  the  law  ”  as  a  ground  of  justification, 
and  all  their  glory,  are  abolished  and  set  aside. 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


9 


In  chapter  4,  after  having  exposed  sin,  and  proclaimed 
the  way  of  faith  unto  justification  through  the  first  three 
chapters,  the  apostle  begins  to  meet  objections  ;  and  he 
takes  up  first  that  most  common  one  of  all,  urged  by 
most  men  when  they  hear  for  the  first  time  of  faith  justi¬ 
fying  without  works ,  and  say,  Shall  we  then  do  no  more 
good  works  ?  He  considers  the  case  of  Abraham,  and 
asks  himself,  What  has  Abraham  accomplished  by  his 
good  works  ?  Were  they  all  in  vain  ?  Were  his  works 
of  no  use  ?  And  he  concludes  that  Abraham  was  justified 
without  any  works,  by  faith  alone  ;  so  much  so,  that  the 
Scriptures  call  him  just  by  faith  alone,  even  before  the 
“work”  of  circumcision,  Gen.  15:6.  But  if  circum¬ 
cision — which  was  certainly  a  work  of  obedience — did 
nothing  towards  his  justification,  though  God  expressly 
enjoined  it,  it  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  any  other  work 
could  have  proved  efficient  for.  that  purpose.  On  the 
contrary,  as  the  circumcision  of  Abraham  was  an  out¬ 
ward  sign  by  which  he  proved  his  state  of  justification 
by  faith,  so  were  all  his  other  good  works  outward  signs 
produced  by  faith,  showing,  as  good  fruits,  that  he  was 
inwardly  justified  and  righteous  before  God. 

By  this  powerful  scripture  proof  Paul  establishes  his 
doctrine  concerning  faith,  chap.  3,  and  then  brings  forth 
another  witness,  David  in  Psa.  32,  who  also  testifies  that 
a  man  is  justified  without  the  deeds  of  the  law,  though 
when  once  he  is  justified  he  does  not  remain  without 
works.  The  apostle  extends  the  principle,  and  applies 
it  to  all  other  deeds  of  the  law  ;  and  draws  the  conclu¬ 
sion,  that  the  Jews  cannot  be  the  heirs  of  Abraham  on 
the  ground  of  their  descent  from  him  merely,  much  less 
through  the  deeds  of  the  law  ;  but  they  must  first  have 
Abraham’s  faith,  if  they  would  be  his  heirs  indeed — be¬ 
cause  Abraham  himself  was  justified  by  faith  before  either 
the  law  of  Moses  or  circumcision  existed,  and  he  thus 
had  become  the  father  of  all  who  believe.  Besides,  the 
law  worketh  wrath,  but  never  grace,  since  no  man  ob¬ 
serves  it  with  love  and  a  willing  mind  ;  and  thus  the  deeds 


10 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


of  the  law  bring  condemnation,  rather  than  grace  or 
pardon.  The  conclusion  is,  that  faith  alone  can  and  must 
obtain  the  grace  promised  to  Abraham,  and  that  exam¬ 
ples  like  those  adduced  are  written  for  the  very  purpose 
that  we  might  believe. 

In  chapter  5,  lie  speaks  of  the  fruits  and  effects  of 
faith,  such  as  peace,  joy,  love  towards  God  and  all  men, 
the  consciousness  of  safety,  boldness  and  cheerfulness, 
and  courage  and  hope  in  tribulations  and  trials.  All 
these  things  result  where  there  is  true  faith,  on  account 
of  the  abounding  blessings  which  God  imparts  to  us  in 
Christ.  He  gave  him  up  to  die  for  us,  not  only  without 
our  asking  for  it,  but  even  when  we  were  yet  enemies. 

And  now  we  have  it  clearly  before  us  that  faith  alone 
justifieth  without  works  ;  and  yet  that  it  by  no  means 
follows  from  this  that  no  good  works  should  be  done, 
but  rather  that  in  this  way,  and  this  only,  such  works 
pleasing  to  God  are  produced.  Of  all  this  those  that 
strive  to  be  justified  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  know  noth¬ 
ing.  They  are  occupied  in  a  work  of  mere  delusion,  in 
which  there  is  neither  peace  nor  joy,  nor  any  conscious¬ 
ness  of  real  safety,  love,  hope,  or  consolation,  and  which 
bears  none  of  the  characteristics  of  a  truly  Christian 
faith  or  pious  life. 

The  apostle  next  tells  us  whence  sin  and  righteous¬ 
ness,  death  and  life  come,  and  contrasts  the  two  chief 
characters,  Adam  and  Christ.  What  he  says  amounts  to 
this :  Christ  must  have  come,  a  second  Adam,  that  he 
might  bequeath  and  transmit  unto  us  his  righteousness 
by  a  new  spiritual  birth  through  faith,  just  as  the  first 
Adam  bequeathed  and  transmitted  to  us  sin,  by  the  old 
birth  of  the  flesh.  All  this  makes  it  clear  that  no  man 
can  bring  himself  out  from  sin  unto  righteousness  by 
works,  any  more  than  he  can  help  having  been  born  of 
the  flesh.  And  this  is  farther  confirmed  by  the  fact  that 
the  divine  law,  by  which,  if  not  sinners,  we  might  be 
saved  and  established  in  a  state  of  righteousness,  not 
only  has  brought  us  no  help,  but  has  increased  the  trans- 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


11 


gression — because  the  lusts  of  fallen  nature  increase 
with  the  increasing  resistance  of  the  law  to  them.  So 
then  the  very  law  itself  makes  Christ  the  more  indispen¬ 
sable  to  us,  and  us  the  more  in  need  of  his  grace  to  come 
to  our  help. 

In  chapter  6,  Paul  considers  the  particular  work  of 
faith,  the  contest  of  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh  for  the 
progressive  mortification  of  the  sin  which  still  remaineth 
after  justification,  and  teaches  us  that  faith  does  not  free 
us  from  sin  in  such  a  sense  that  we  may  settle  down 
inactive,  idle,  and  secure,  as  though  sin  was  annihilated. 
We  learn  that  sin  still  exists  ;  but  that  it  is  no  longer  a 
cause  of  condemnation,  because  faith  contends  against 
it.  Even  though  justified  by  grace,  we  have  our  hands 
full  while  we  live  to  subdue  our  bodies,  mortify  our  lusts, 
and  subjugate  our  members  to  be  obedient  to  the  Spirit 
and  not  to  lusts,  so  that  we  may  be  conformable  unto  the 
death  and  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  carry  out  our  bap¬ 
tismal  engagements  and  obligations — baptism  symboliz¬ 
ing  our  death  to  sin  and  our  new  life  through  grace — 
until,  entirely  purified  and  free  from  sin,  we  rise  bodily 
from  the  dead  through  Christ,  and  live  for  ever. 

And  this,  he  says,  is  promised  us  because  we  are  “no 
more  under  the  law,  but  under  grace.”  For  he  explains 
farther,  to  be  without  law  is  not  to  be  living  without 
any  reference  to  the  law,  but  it  means  not  being  under 
the  law.  To  be  under  the  law  is  to  be  engaged  in  legal 
works  without  grace,  in  which  state  sin  exercises  its 
dominion  through  the  law  over  that  nature  which  is  so 
utterly  contrary  to  the  law.  This  is  a  state  of  great 
sinfulness.  But  grace  makes  the  law  a  delight  to  us  ; 
consequently  sin  loses  its  power  in  the  law,  and  the  law 
is  no  more  against  us,  but  in  league  with  us. 

And  this  is  true  freedom  from  sin  and  from  the  law, 
of  which  he  writes  to  the  end  of  this  chapter,  maintaining 
that  it  is  a  freedom  to  do  good  only,  and  that  with  de¬ 
light,  and  to  live  godly  without  the  compulsion  of  any  law. 
This  liberty  is  a  spiritual  liberty  which  does  not  abrogate 


12 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


the  law,  but  which  affords  and  gives  what  the  law  re¬ 
quires,  namely,  love  for  and  delight  in  that  which  is  good. 

Just  as  if  thou  hadst  a  creditor,  and  couldest  not  pay. 
There  would  be  but  two  ways  of  getting  rid  of  him  ; 
either  he  must  forgive  the  debt,  or  some  friend  must  pay 
it  for  thee,  and  thus  satisfy  the  creditor’s  demand.  In 
this  latter  way  Christ  has  freed  us  from  the  law.  It  is 
therefore  not  a  wild,  carnal  liberty,  intended  to  be  idle, 
but  one  which  is  doing  much  and  constantly,  and  yet  is 
free  from  the  condemnation  of  the  debt,  and  finds  the 
demands  of  the  law  no  longer  galling. 

In  chapter  1,  this  is  illustrated  by  a  comparison 
drawn  from  married  life :  When  the  husband  dies,  the 
wife  is  free ;  the  connection  on  both  sides  is  dissolved, 
so  that  the  wife  is  really  free  to  marry  another,  which 
she  could  not  have  done  before  her  first  connection  was 
dissolved.  So  our  conscience  is  bound  to  the  law  while 
the  “  old  man”  is  alive  in  sin ;  but  when  he  is  mortified 
and  dead,  the  conscience  is  free ;  their  connection  is  dis¬ 
solved  :  not  that  conscience  might  feel  free  to  be  idle,  but 
free  to  be  united  to  Christ,  the  second  and  true  husband, 
to  bear  fruit  unto  life  eternal. 

Paul  then  goes  on  to  illustrate  the  nature  of  sin,  how 
it  stirs  and  resists  when  coming  under  the  restraint  of 
the  law.  For  the  “  old  man”  hates  the  law  the  more,  the 
less  he  can  pay  what  the  law  requires  and  claims.  Sin 
is  the  very  nature  of  the  old  man,  nor  does  he  change 
himself ;  therefore  the  law  is  his  torture  and  his  death. 
Not  as  though  the  law  was  not  good,  but  that  human 
nature  is  wicked,  and  will  not  suffer  the  demands  of  the 
holy  law  upon  it. 

Therefore  Paul  concludes,  that  where  the  law  is 
rightly  understood,  it  but  reminds  us  of  our  sin,  brings 
us  unto  death  by  it,  and  calls  down  upon  us  the  penalty 
of  eternal  wrath ;  as  the  experience  of  that  conscience 
which  the  law  has  reached  with  its  requisitions  and 
terrors  clearly  enough  shows.  So  then  we  must  have 
something  besides  the  law,  if  we  are  to  become  godly 


LUTHER'S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


13 


and  to  be  saved.  But  they  who  have  no  true  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  law  are  blind,  go  on  carelessly,  and  think 
they  can  accomplish  all  by  their  own  deeds,  not  consid¬ 
ering  that  the  law  requires  a  willing  and  cheerful  heart. 

Then  the  apostle  shows  how  flesh  and  spirit  contend 
with  one  another  in  man,  illustrating  it  by  his  own  ex¬ 
perience,  that  we  may  learn  what  it  is  to. mortify  sin  in 
our  members.  He  calls  the  spirit  and  the  flesh  each  “  a 
law,”  because  as  God’s  law  demands  and  urges,  so  does 
the  flesh  urge  its  demands  against  the  Spirit,  determined 
to  gratify  its  own  desires.  And  so  also,  on  the  other  hand, 
does  the  Spirit  urge  his  demands  against  the  flesh,  equal¬ 
ly  determined  to  have  his  way.  And  this  contest  con¬ 
tinues  with  us,  in  a  measure,  while  we  live,  in  various 
degrees  in  different  persons  ;  and  yet  withal  the  whole 
contest  is  occasioned  by  what  is  in  the  renewed  man 
himself  in  whom  it  is  carried  forward,  he  being  in  a  sense 
flesh  and  spirit  striving  against  each  other  until  the 
Spirit  at  last  entirely  prevails. 

In  chapter  8,  he  comforts  the  Christian  in  this  war¬ 
fare  with  the  consideration  that  the  flesh  can  no  more 
bring  him  into  condemnation ;  and  goes  on  to  illustrate 
the  character  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  spirit,  and  how  the 
spirit  comes  from  Christ,  who  has  given  us  his  Holy 
Spirit,  by  which  we  are  made  spiritual,  and  which  sub¬ 
dues  the  flesh  and  assures  us  that  we  are  the  children  of 
God,  however  severe  the  contest  of  the  flesh  may  be  in 
us,  if  so  be  that  we  follow  the  Spirit,  and  resist  and  mor¬ 
tify  sin.  And  because  there  is  no  better  outward  means 
to  subdue  the  flesh  than  tribulation  and  suffering,  the 
apostle  comforts  us  in  them  by  pointing  us  to  the  assist¬ 
ance  of  the  Spirit,  to  the  love  of  Christ,  and  the  sympa¬ 
thy  of  “  the  whole  creation,”  saying  that  the  Spirit  groan- 
eth  in  us,  and  that  “  the  whole  creation  ”  groans  together 
with  us,  that  we  might  become  free  from  flesh  and  sin. 
Thus  we  see  how  chapters  6,  I,  and  8  join  in  setting 
forth  the  great  work  of  faith,  which  is,  to  mortify  the 
“  old  man  ”  and  subdue  the  flesh. 


14 


LUTHER'S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


In  chapters  9,  10,  and  11,  he  discourses  on  the  eternal 
purpose  of  God,  upon  which  depends  ultimately  the  ques¬ 
tion  who  shall  believe  and  who  not,  who  shall  become 
free  from  sin  and  who  not;  and  this  in  order  that  the 
matter  of  our  piety  and  faith  should  rest  in  Qpd’s  hand. 
And  of  this  there  is  the  highest  possible  need ;  for  we 
are  so  weak  and  wavering  that,  if  the  matter  rested  with 
us,  surely  not  one  soul  would  be  saved ;  Satan  would 
undoubtedly  overcome  us  all.  But  now,  as  God  is  sure 
of  his  own  purpose  which  cannot  fail,  and  which  none 
can  hinder,  we  have  hope  even  amid  the  hottest  contest 
against  sin. 

But  here  firm  limits  must  be  put  upon  those  presump¬ 
tuous  spirits  who  speculate  on  this  subject,  and  who 
begin  with  eternity  past,  undertaking  to  scan  the  un¬ 
fathomable  abyss  of  God’s  purposes,  and  who  with  use¬ 
less  grief  and  anxiety  ask  whether  they  are  elected  or 
not.  These  procure  their  own  fall,  for  they  will  either 
despair  or  plunge  into  carnal  security. 

But  do  thou  follow  this  epistle  in  its  order,  and  occupy 
thyself  first  of  all  with  Christ  and  his  gospel,  that  thou 
mayest  get  a  true  knowledge  of  thine  own  sins  and  his 
grace.  Then  go  on  and  contend  against  sin,  as  chapters 
1-8  teach  thee.  When  thou  hast  got  into  the  eighth 
chapter,  under  much  tribulation  and  many  a  cross,  thou 
art  prepared  to  learn,  from  chapters  9-11,  how  precious 
that  divine  purpose  is,  and  how  full  of  consolation.  *  For 
without  the  experience  of  sufferings,  trials,  and  death- 
struggles,  no  one  can  look  at  these  eternal  purposes  of 
God  without  a  secret  stir  of  indignation.  Therefore  the 
old  man  must  be  mortified  first,  before  he  can  bear  such 
truths. 

In  chapter  12,  the  apostle  teaches  the  order  of  true 
worship,  and  makes  every  Christian  a  priest — to  sacri¬ 
fice,  not  cattle  or  money,  as  in  the  law,  but  his  own 
body,  in  the  mortification  of  his  sinful  desires.  Then  he 
describes  the  outward  walk  of  Christians,  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  order  and  rule :  how  they  are  to  teach,  preach,  rule, 


LUTHER'S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


15 


serve,  give,  suffer,  love,  live,  and  do  towards  friends  and 
foes.  These  are  the  works  in  which  a  Christian  is  en¬ 
gaged,  for,  as  already  observed,  faith  is  never  idle. 

In  chapter  13,  he  enjoins  a  proper  reverence  for  sec¬ 
ular  powers,  and  obedience  to  them,  which  powers  have 
been  ordained,  that  although  they  cannot  make  men  pious, 
they  may  at  least  effect  so  much  that  pious  men  may 
live  in  outward  peace  and  under  protection,  and  that  the 
wicked  may  not  do  evil  without  fear.  These  powers  are 
to  be  honored  by  the  pious,  although  they  have  no  need  of 
them  for  regulating  their  own  conduct.  Finally  he  sums 
up  all  with  love,  and  closes  with  the  example  of  Christ, 
that  we  should  do  as  he  did,  and  walk  in  his  footsteps. 

In  chapter  14,  we  learn  that  the  weak  in  faith  should 
be  dealt  with  gently  and  tenderly ;  and  that  Christian 
liberty  may  not  be  used  for  others’  harm,  but  for  the 
strengthening  of  the  feeble.  For  where  that  is  not  done 
there  is  contention  and  contempt  of  the  gospel,  of  which, 
notwithstanding,  we  are  all  alike  in  the  highest  need. 
It  is  therefore  better,  in  his  view,  that  we  should  yield 
somewhat  to  them  that  are  weak  in  faith  till  they  become 
stronger,  than  that  gospel  truth  should  be  entirely  shut 
out. 

In  chapter  15,  he  presents  Christ  as  our  example  in 
this  matter,  that  we  may  bear  with  the  weak,  who  are 
more  liable  to  fall  into  sin,  or  whose  manners  are  not  so 
pleasant ;  that  we  should  not  suddenly  cast  them  away, 
but  bear  with  them,  if  peradventure  they  may  recover. 
For  thus  Christ  did  with  us,  and  continues  to  do  daily, 
bearing  with  much  that  is  wrong  and  untoward  in  our 
ways,  together  with  all  manner  of  imperfection,  and 
affording  us  his  help  incessantly.  Then,  to  conclude,  he 
prays  for  them,  notices  their  consistent  piety,  and  com¬ 
mends  them  to  God.  He  speaks  of  his  ministry  and  doc¬ 
trine,  makes  a  delicate  appeal  to  them  in  behalf  of  the 
poor  in  Jerusalem,  and  opens  freely  those  feelings  of  love 
of  which  his  heart  was  full,  of  which  he  ever  spoke,  and 
by  which  he  was  actuated. 


1G 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


The  last  chapter  is  one  of  salutations,  but  with  them  I 
he  mingles  warnings  against  false  doctrines  and  tradi-  1 
tions  of  men,  which  creep  in  unawares  and  create  of-  \ 
fence — as  though  he  had  clearly  foreseen  that  from  Rome, 
and  by  the  Romans,  there  should  come  in  the  seductive 
and  offensive  canons  and  decretals,  and  all  the  insect  host  j 
of  human  laws  and  ordinances,  with  which  the  world  is 
deluged.  These  have  rendered  nugatory  this  epistle  and 
all  the  holy  Scriptures,  together  with  the  Spirit  of  God  j 
and  faith  ;  so  that  nothing  was  left  at  last  to  the  follow¬ 
ers  of  Rome  but  that  universal  idol  the  belly,  whose  ser¬ 
vants  indeed  they  are,  as  Paul  says  in  this  chapter,  verse 
18.  May  God  save  us  all  from  them. 

Thus  we  have  found  in  this  epistle,  set  forth  in 
richest  abundance,  what  is  needful  for  a  Christian  to 
know :  namely,  law,  gospel,  sin,  conviction,  grace,  faith, 

RIGHTEOUSNESS,  CHRIST,  GoD,  GOOD  WORKS,  LOVE,  HOPE,  and 

the  fellowship  of  the  cross  ;  also  how  we  are  to  conduct 
towards  all  men,  whether  pious  or  sinners,  strong  or 
weak,  friends  or  foes,  as  well  as  towards  ourselves.  All 
of  which  is  founded  upon  and  confirmed  by  Scripture, 
with  the  experience  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  so  that 
nothing  more  can  be  desired.  It  appears,  indeed,  that 
Paul  wished  to  embody  in  this  epistle,  in  a  condensed 
manner,  the  whole  Christian  evangelical  doctrine,  and 
prepare  an  entrance  into  the  right  understanding  of  the 
Old  Testament.  For  without  doubt  he  that  rightly  un¬ 
derstands  this  epistle  from  the  heart,  has  the  light  and 
essence  of  the  Old  Testament  in  him.  Let  therefore 
every  Christian  keep  up  a  living  acquaintance  and  con¬ 
stant  intercourse  with  this  book ;  for  which  may  God 
grant  his  grace.  Amen. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY. 


LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 


3 


this  bread  of  God  ?  It  is  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  :  ‘  I  am 
the  living  bread  which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  and 
giveth  life  unto  the  world/  For  this  reason — and  let  us 
not  deceive  ourselves — all  sermons  and  all  instructions 
that  do  not  set  Jesus  Christ  before  us  and  teach  us  to 
know  him,  cannot  be  the  daily  bread  and  the  nourishment 
of  our  souls. 

“But  what  is  it  then  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  sayest 
thou  ;  and  what  advantage  is  derived  from  it  ?  I  reply, 
To  learn  and  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  is  to  understand 
what  the  apostle  says  :  1  Christ  is  made  unto  us  of  God, 
wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  re¬ 
demption/  -Now  this  you  understand,  if  you  acknow¬ 
ledge  all  your  wisdom  to  be  a  condemnable  folly,  your 
own  righteousness  a  condemnable  iniquity,  your  own 
holiness  a  condemnable  impurity,  your  own  redemption 
a  miserable  condemnation  ;  if  you  feel  that  you  are  really 
before  God  and  before  all  creatures  a  fool,  a  sinner,  an 
impure,  a  condemned  man,  and  if  you  show,  not  only  by 
your  words,  but  from  the  bottom  of  your  heart,  and  by 
your  works,  that  you  have  no  consolation  and  no  salva¬ 
tion  remaining  except  in  Jesus  Christ.  To  believe,  is 
none  other  than  to  eat  this  bread  from  heaven.” 


LUTHER  BEFORE  THE  DIET  OF  WORMS. 

Having  refused  to  retract  his  books,  or  his  doctrines, 
he  concluded  thus : 

“  I  am  but  a  mere  man,  and  not  God  ;  I  shall  there¬ 
fore  defend  myself  as  Christ  did.  ‘  If  I  have  spoken  evil, 
bear  witness  of  the  evil/  said  he.  John  18  :  23.  How 
much  more  should  I,  who  am  but  dust  and  ashes,  and 
who  may  so  easily  go  astray,  desire  every  man  to  state 
his  objections  to  my  doctrine. 

“  For  this  reason,  by  the  mercy  of  God  I  conjure  you, 
most  serene  emperor,  and  you,  most  illustrious  princes, 
and  all  men  of  every  degree,  to  prove  from  the  writings 
of  the  prophets  and  apostles  that  I  have  erred.  As  soon 
as  I  am  convinced  of  this,  I  will  retract  every  error,  and 
be  the  first  to  lay  hold  of  my  books  and  throw  them  into 
the  fire.” 

No.  C02. 


20  pages.]  LUTHER’S  KEY  TO  ROMANS. 

“  Thus,  commending  myself  to  your  august  majesty 
and  to  your  most  serene  highnesses,  I  humbly  entreat 
you  not  to  suffer  the  hatred  of  my  enemies  to  pour  out 
upon  me  an  indignation  that  I  have  not  merited.” 

When  he  had  ceased  speaking,  the  Chancellor  of 
Treves,  the  orator  of  the  diet,  said  indignantly,  “You 
have  not  answered  the  question  put  to  you.  You  were 
not  summoned  hither  to  call  in  question  the  decisions  of 
councils.  You  are  required  to  give  a  clear  and  precise 
answer.  Will  you,  or  will  you  not  retract?” 

Upon  this  Luther  replied,  “  Since  your  most  serene 
majesty  and  your  high  mightinesses  require  from  me  a 
clear,  simple,  and  precise  answer,  I  will  give  you  one, 
and  it  is  this :  I  cannot  submit  my  faith  either  to  the 
pope  or  to  the  councils,  because  it  is  clear  as  the  day 
that  they  have  frequently  erred  and  contradicted  each 
other.  Unless  therefore  I  am  convinced  by  the  testimony 
of  Scripture,  or  by  the  clearest  reasoning  ;  unless  I  am 
persuaded  by  means  of  the  passages  I  have  quoted  ;  and 
unless  they  thus  render  my  conscience  bound  by  the 
word  of  God,  I  cannot  and  I  will  not  retract,  for  it  is  unsafe 
for  a  Christian  to  speak  against  his  conscience.”  And 
then,  looking  round  on  this  assembly  before  which  he 
stood,  and  which  held  his  life  in  its  hands,  he  said, 
“  Here  I  stand,  I  can  do  no  other  ;  may  God  help  me. 


Amen.” 


The  assembly  was  thunderstruck.  Many  of  the 
princes  found  it  difficult  to  conceal  their  admiration. 
The  emperor,  recovering  from  his  first  impression,  ex¬ 
claimed,  “  This  monk  speaks  with  an  intrepid  heart  and 
unshaken  courage.”  The  Spaniards  and  Italians  seem¬ 
ed  confounded,  and  soon  began  to  ridicule  a  greatness 
of  soul  which  they  could  not  comprehend. 

“  If  you  do  not  retract,”  said  the  Chancellor,  as  soon 
as  the  diet  had  recovered  from  the  impression  produced 
by  Luther’s  speech,  “  the  emperor  and  the  states  of  the  / 


empire  will  consult  what  course  to  adopt  against 


incorrigible  heretic.”  At  these  words  Luther’s  friends 
began  to  tremble;  but  the  monk  repeated,  “May  God 
be  my  helper,  for  I  can  retract  nothing.” 


